IN many respects, the 2011/12 season hasn’t quite gone to plan for Burnley.

But in some respects it could not have gone better for Chris McCann.

The captain accepts he has work to do to reach a level of performance he is satisfied with.

But if he is in the starting line-up to face Bristol City in tomorrow’s early kick-off, McCann will have started all 46 league games this season – quite a turnaround for the injury torment he suffered during the previous two campaigns.

And he believes being a Championship ever-present will provide him with the perfect springboard to helping him get back to his best next term.

“It’s been difficult, it’s been up and down, stop-start these last couple of years, and I probably found it hard to get to grips with early on, having not played for so long,” said McCann.

“It’s difficult to just flick a switch and come back and play just like I used to.

“Next year I’ll be better for having played a full season, come back and be more consistent hopefully.

“I’m relatively pleased with most of my performances, but I can be better.

“I’ve needed this season to come back and get strong, and hopefully next year I’ll get back to playing like I used to play.

“But this season’s exceeded my expectations.

“At the start I didn’t imagine I’d play as many games as I have. I just hoped I’d come back, have a good season and stay injury free.

“With the Saturday-Tuesday games I thought I’d not feel as good as I had before, but it’s been fine, I’ve been managed well and my knee’s held up really well.

“It’s been fantastic.”

The curtain has yet to come down on this campaign, but McCann is already anticipating the new one.

“I’m looking forward to coming back,” said the midfielder.

“It’d had been a long time since I played any football (last summer) and I probably knew I needed a season to get that out of my system, the rigours of Saturday-Tuesday.

“I think I’ve done that and hopefully I’ll come back stronger.”

McCann believes the same principle will apply to the Clarets as a group, with relative newcomers to Turf Moor benefiting from a full Championship season under their belt.

Looking back on the season, McCann added: “I think if you look at the whole season, we’ve been inconsistent, but we’re disappointed.

“We’ve played against the top teams and done really well against them.

“But we’re mid-table, and you scratch your head and wonder why we aren’t up there with them.

“On the other side, we have a new team, and I think we’ve done well in our first season together.

“It will take time to gel, but I think we’ve come together slowly but surely.

“People seem to forget we’re a new team, and we should be better than what we are, but there were glimpses of what we’re capable of, and now we’ll be better for it next year.”

But McCann accepts being able to keep the bulk of the squad together will be a key factor in their future prospects.

The 24-year-old himself has only one year left to run on his current contract, but after enduring a stressful summer last year before signing a new two-year deal, he admits he is looking forward to a relaxing summer.

“I’ll go away, recharge the batteries and hopefully be better next year for having a season under my belt,” he said.

“I have a year left and I’m not going to worry about that (contract). I’m going to play my football.

“I did enough worrying last summer for 100 people!

“I’m in good hands here, I’ve always been looked after and it’s up to my agent and the club to discuss anything.

“I’m happy here, I always have been.”